How do you read Chinese hallmarks?
Of all Chinese porcelain marks, reign marks are generally the easiest markings to read as they follow a set format. On each six-character reign mark, the first two characters indicate the dynasty, the second two characters give the name of the Emperor, and the last two characters translate to “made for”.
When were items marked Made in China?
As a general rule the plain “CHINA” mark came into use after 1891 when US federal law required all imports to be marked with their country of origin. The addition of “MADE IN” was required from 1919.
Are there any maker’s marks in ancient China?
Exceptions: the occasional shop or hall mark may indirectly indicate who made or ordered an item, but generally said, almost no factory and few other maker’s marks did exist in ancient China before the 20th century. Antique marks on Chinese ceramics only rarely tell you WHEN an item was made.
How old are the marks on Chinese porcelain?
Some porcelain I have found in Singapore marked in such way, the dealers have been very adamant that it dated to the 1970s.
What does it mean when something has a china mark on it?
An item with such a name mark usually means that it either is an old Chinese item made for the Japanese market, or that it was made in Japan itself, most likely in the 19th century or later. The number of kilns in existence, in Japan, was always small compared to China.
Is there a silver mark system in China?
In China, there was no regulated system of any kind when it came to silver marks; they were all the product of the maker’s whim on how they looked. The information they gave, with the exception of a few provincial areas of China where it was necessary to declare the purity of the silver, was minimal.
Some porcelain I have found in Singapore marked in such way, the dealers have been very adamant that it dated to the 1970s.
How many new marks are there in Chinese history?
All new marks are in the proper alphabetical order but the text will be red and in italics for a short time so as to highlight the newly added marks. There are about 200 new marks.)
What do the reign marks on Chinese ceramics mean?
For example, the two six-character reign marks illustrated above read: Da Ming Jiajing Nian Zhi, ‘Made in the Great Ming dynasty during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor’ (1522-1566) and Da Qing Yongzheng Nian Zhi, translating as ‘Made in the Great Qing dynasty during the reign of the Emperor Yongzheng’ (1723-1735).
Where did hallmarks go in the Chinese Republic?
Hallmarks and commendations were still reasonably common, but the commendations moved location from the base of the porcelains to the written inscriptions on the sides of the porcelains in the Late Qing and Republic eras. Below, I will list almost 400 different marks from this era, and I am sure there are many more.
